Your Treadmill Pace is WRONG!

Today was unseasonably warm in Kansas (shocker), forcing me inside for my run.  Actually, it kinda was my fault. I neglected to look at the weather yesterday, and waited till 1:00pm to fit my run in today.  Probably not the best decision.

Anyway, during my 8 miler on the "dreadmill," I noticed that I felt pretty good. My main set was 5 miles at an 8:13 pace, after a 2 mile warm up.  After the fifth mile, I was still feeling pretty good.  This is something I have been noticing lately.  Since more of my runs have been on a treadmill this summer than I would like, I have become accustomed to pounding away on the machines.  Recently, I have noticed that my perceived effort is always lower on a treadmill, when compared to running outdoors.  There are some likely reasons for this, like hills, heat, wind, traffic, etc.  I still thought about this as I cooled down, and decided to check into some of my HR data from previous runs to compare the 'metabolic toll'.

I was able to find 2 runs that appeared to be fairly similar, although they were 2 different "runs".  The first run was an interval run on a treadmill that I did during the first week in August.  The second run was the tempo run I did this week.

The Interval Treadmill run was a pre-determined workout, with a specific pace.  I did the intervals at a 6:40 pace for 5x800m, with a 400m recovery between:

Average HR 157 bpm, Max HR 176 bpm, Time: 49:26

The Tempo run outdoors was also a pre-determined workout that I "adjusted." I warmed up for 3 miles, maintained a 7:45 pace for 2 miles, and cooled down the last mile.  I stopped quite a bit for stoplights, as the graph shows:

Average HR 161 bpm, Max HR 180 bpm, Time: 49:54 (moving)

From these graphs, I basically can tell that I am not replicating the "road" quite as well as I want.  I know there are TONS of differences between the two (wind, rain, cars, dogs, hills, humidity, etc.), but thought I was doing a good job replicating the conditions on a "effort" standpoint. For me, the Average and Max HR data SHOULD be higher for the interval workout, regardless of where it was taking place. Even with all the stopping in my tempo run, my HR was still higher.  

After I checked these out, I searched on Google for pacing charts for treadmills, where I uncovered this:

Courtesy of trinewbies.com

According to the graph, running speed on a treadmill doesn't translate to the correct pace outside, even when hills are taken out of the equation.  Treadmill running with no incline is actually slower than running on a flat road or track because it takes less effort without wind/air resistance. Judging from the graph, the MPH setting on a treadmill is actually about 20 seconds slower per mile, when compared with a flat road pace.  That's a huge difference!!!

I don't know if treadmills factor this in when a person selects their pace, but I'm doubting it.  It seems like a simple thing to add... One easy solution would be setting the incline of the treadmill at 1%.  This brings the difference to about 2 seconds difference per mile, which is definitely more do-able. 

This was pretty eye-opening for me.  Apparently, all of my runs on the treadmill this summer have been at a pace 20 seconds slower than I thought.  That's a little frustrating.  This is another reason why you should run outside as much as possible.... If conditions allow.  This winter (and the remaining HOT days this year) when I am forced inside, I will be doing all of my runs with some incline.  OR a GIANT fan to replicate some wind resistance... 

This should work...

Thanks for reading!

The North Face Endurance Challenge 10K Race Report!

The North Face came to town this last weekend to host the inaugural Endurance Challenge: Kansas City.  This was North Face's first attempt at conducting a road race, and Kansas City was lucky enough to be first in line! The 10K race is actually the first run-only event I have ever been in, and was especially nice because Rach, my sister Hayley, and Rach's sister Laura also raced! It was a family event!

The "ladies" pre race!

Pre-Race:
Woke up at 5:30am, and grabbed some quick food before heading out.  I had my typical race morning meal of oatmeal and OJ, along with a bottle of Gatorade.  We met up with Rach's sister and her husband before arriving to the Race Start.  We got there about 6:30am, to make sure we had enough time for my sister to check in. Once all checked in, we just waited around, watched the half marathoners take off, and went to check out the Johns.

This was only half of them! I have never seen so many thrones!

After a quick warm-up with Rach, we both got in line to start at 7:30am.  We arrived a bit late to the starting line, and had to settle for starting towards the back of the pack.

Run:
And we were off!  But watch out for a sprinkler head!  All I remember from the pre-race speech was to avoid an orange cone, which was over an "immovable" sprinkler head.  I wasn't paying close attention, and had to hurdle it.

Early in the race and having some fun! Thumbs up!

The Run itself felt great.  The course was in a hilly part of Kansas City, but I didn't think it was too overwhelming. The first mile I spent just trying to work my way out of the slower paced runners.  After I heard my Garmin beep for the first mile, I settled into a good 8:00 min/mile pace.  I tried to keep this on the flats and uphills, and hammered on the downhills.  I probably did more checking my pace then I wanted, but in the end I thought it made for a good training day.

My "Pimp" hand is weak...

I held my 8:00min/mile pace until I finished the 5th mile, at which point I cranked it up a bit.  The rest of the course turned out to be all downhill, and I was able hold a 7:25min/mile pace pretty easily.

Still having fun?

Time: 49:02/ 7:58 pace
AG: 16/58
Overall: 54/463

Race Goals: 

• DO NOT AGGRAVATE FOOT:  MET! Felt great the entire time, and a few days post, still feels great! About to get some new kicks, too! (K-Swiss blade lights...)
• Maintain Half Marathon Pace: Partially Met.... I maintained a slightly faster pace overall than I anticipated, but that was due to my faster last mile and finishing strong.  I was okay doing this because I felt good, and at least wanted to look like I was hauling at the finish!
• Be smart at the start:  MET!  Almost too smart.... My pace the first mile was much slower than I wanted, but that was due to the crowd and poor planning on my part.  Next time I will start towards the middle.  Overall, though, I did a pretty good job of holding back my speed and imagining that I had more miles to do.  It helped alleviate some peer pressure.
• PR:  Well, I finished, so PR!  Not too impressive, but I know I can do better, and would have.  I will make sure I get another 10K in at full tilt to see what I can do!!!

I will be back next year!

Overall:
Awesome, awesome, awesome race and festivities.  Every intersection was blocked by the KCPD (Thanks), everything well organized, cool swag, great post race activities, and an awesome course.  My only regret is not doing the half.  If the North Face decides to continue next year, I will definitely be participating in that! Congrats to Rach, Hayley, and Laura for a great race, too!  Hayley got 2nd in her AG! Awesome!

Rach and the lil sis!

  Thanks for reading, and hope you consider racing next year!

The North Face Endurance Challenge Pre-Race Info

The North Face crew will be heading into the Kansas City area this weekend for the inaugural The North Face Endurance Challenge: Kansas City.  The races are split up into 2 days, with the Marathoners and 50K-ers already tearing up the course (as of this moment in time...)!  I will be racing tomorrow (Sunday) in the 10K race with Rach.  My sister Hayley will be doing her first 5K as well (woot!). I'm pretty excited to race, and to be honest, this will be my first running race ever!  Eventually I think I will be able to complete the 5K distance, but I first thought I would attempt the 10K to build up to the 5K distance....

Packet Pickup:
Packet Pickup was yesterday, and was a little different than the triathlon packet pickups I have been to.  The "expo" was outdoors, and was a really great day for it. 

• There were several different vendors from around the area, selling race #swag (hashtag?). Pretty standard...

• Dean Karnazes was in attendance, which was pretty cool.  He was a little smaller than I was originally imagining. I think I could take him in an all-out arm wrestling contest, but if it lasts for over 24 hours, I think he's got me beat... He just finished a 6-day run across the Rockies yesterday (!?!), and was a last minute addition to the Marathon today. That guy is fit....
• The t-shirt 'package' was very interesting.  Instead of screen printing all of the race shirts, they did it on-site. So instead of printing out a set number of each distances' shirts, they had them 'made to order' there.  I chose not to, based on the length of the line and a dinner reservation in the midst, but Rach got her's done. Pretty cool.

• There was no "packet".  Everything paper-based was sent via email.  I only clicked on a few items, and was a little disappointed with the 'coupons', but I really don't care because I'm not about to purchase a Jeep (one of the sponsors).
• The finishing shoot is in an AWESOME location, right in front of the Nelson Atkins Art Museum. 

Race Goals:
When I first signed up for the race, I mainly was thinking this would be a good early tune-up for the KC Half Marathon in October.  Now I am a little disappointed I didn't sign up for the Half... I think I would have been fine with the distance, but I didn't think that a few months ago... oh well.  With my foot now feeling better, I think a 10K distance should be perfect!

My race goals are:

• DO NOT AGGRAVATE THE FOOT!  It's feeling better, and I don't want it turn into a stress fracture!  Still not 100% sure what's going on in there....
• That being said, I still want to get something out of the race, as far as training goes.  I am planning on setting my Garmin to a specific pace for each mile of the race.  As of now, my Half Mary goal time is around 8:15 min/mile, and I am planning on doing the same pace for this race.  Not at all worried about maintaining this for 6+ miles. 
• Be smart.  The toughest thing for me is going to be starting off slow.  Every race I have been in so far, it probably looks like I have been shot out of a cannon.  Since I am using this for training and experience, I want to replicate the 'half marathon' race experience.  If I start out too hard on the Half, I will probably be hurting the last 3 miles or so. I know I can sustain a faster pace for a 10K, but that's not why I'm racing. 
• PR!  Haha, since this my first 10K, I will  most definitely have a PR!  Unless I don't finish....

If anybody is racing that day, I would love to say hello!  I will be wearing a KU Tri top (yeah, douchy.... but it looks soooo cool...)!

A shorter-than-normal race report should follow!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

Video Friday 8-26-11

After getting the trainer all set up last night, I went for a quick spin to test it out! So far, so good!  Except my dog Max DID NOT LIKE IT!!! I think it was the quietest I have ever seen him!!!

I skipped my recovery run yesterday to give my foot a little more time to heal before Sunday.  It's still pretty sore still, so I may be skipping my run today too.  I'm not exactly worried, as far as conditioning goes, for the run on Sunday.  I am going to be looking at it as more of a training run for the Half Marathon in October anyway, but don't want to be starting a stress fracture in my foot...

I found this video on Fuzzy Tri's blog (nice name, by the way. Also pretty applicable!).  I thought it was pretty cool, and almost gives a point-of-view look at some pretty intense training.  Great motivation!

I'm planning on putting together a pre-race report for Sunday, after I pick up my packet tonight!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

Goodies!

In preparation and anticipation of a long and brutal winter here in Kansas (can't be worse than this summer), I began researching and considering purchasing a bike trainer.  One of my early goals for this winter and next year is to ride more often to improve my bike splits.  As I see it, the bike is where I will be able to improve the most, in the shortest amount of time (God, I hope....).  I know many people that have indoor trainers for their bikes, and really swear by them during the winter months.  Although not as enticing as a ride outdoors, they still give you an option of getting your ride in, despite the conditions.  I am interested because I will have no excuse not to ride... I mainly researched about the type of trainer (magnetic, fluid, inertia), and the brands and products available.  One thing I really was looking for was getting the most "bang for my buck," as they say... I don't know who "they" are, though.

After looking into the pros and cons of each type, I decided on getting a fluid trainer.  From what I've read, they have the most road-like ride experience.  The only downside from what I can see is the resistance, or lack there of, with fluid-based trainers.  I plan on building leg strength this winter on the trainer, or as much as possible, so this was kind of a letdown.

I looked into the usual suspects for brands:  Cycleops, Kurt Kinetic, Blackburn, etc.  I was impressed by some of their products, but not necessarily their price tags. I really can't justify spending $300+ on a trainer as a student.  Let's not even mention the $1500 Computrainer, which looks SUUUWEEET!

While reading some of my junk mail one day, I stumbled across Performance Bike's newsletter.  I was curious to see if the site had any specials on trainers, and turns out they did.  They carried the mainstream brands, but also the "Travel Trac" brand, one that I was unfamiliar with.  After doing a little research and checking out some reviews, I became really interested.

Travel Trac had a good priced (for me) fluid trainer on the website, and for a few bucks more, they had a fluid trainer + resistance (mag).  The added resistance covered my only concern of using my gears for resistance.  After reading some good reviews, I was sold!  Also got free shipping and $70 off because I was a new customer.

A week goes by, and it arrived today!!!

First time ever a package arrived before the "anticipated delivery date"

I picked it up over lunch at my apartment, and had to spend the rest of the day at work/school.  When I got home at 7, I got right to work getting everything set up!

Everything unpacked and ready for a bike!

After about 15 minutes of me skipping the directions, I finally gave in a checked them.  My bike was set up on the trainer 3 minutes later...Pssh... men... am I right, ladies?!

Like my riser block?

I can't wait to try it out!  I have a feeling the "newness" factor will wear off, and will begin to feel like running on a treadmill.  Right now I don't care, because this winter there would be no alternative.  I am really excited to try some new drills, like one-legged sprints, to work on my pedaling economy (nerdy).  All in all, price was definitely right, performance sounds good (judging from reviews), and I get to train throughout the winter!

I have some other projects for the bike, although not too big.  I finally got some new tires, and will be re-taping my handlebars soon!

Going with a "red" theme (CHEAPEST AVAILABLE)...

Sidenote:  If anyone has some killer indoor workouts, please email me! or tweet me a link!  Or post in the comments! I need to book up my winter training plan!!!

Thanks for reading!

Learning to tie my shoes...

I had an interval set on the training schedule today, and actually planned for it, for once.  Last night, I packed my gym bag, programmed the Garmin based on HR, and packed my lunch and post workout snack, as I was going to be tight on time between my class and the workout.  Today was my last day at my clinical (sad...), so I got a half day (happy!).  The plan was to head to the gym after a brief meeting with my school department concerning some minor research ideas for the semester (maybe a future post...). I quickly said my goodbyes at my clinical site, thanked everyone for putting up with me, and headed to school.

My meeting lasted a bit longer than I anticipated, so I rushed to find a parking spot near the gym, changed clothes, and was booking it up to the treadmill.

Now, this is my own fault, but I have a tendency of 'sliding' my shoes on.  Even my running shoes.  I leave the laces tied (probably from the first time I tried them on), and slip my foot in.  Today, this time-saving technique came back to bite me in the ass.

I was about 2.5 miles into my 7x800 interval set, when all of a sudden my foot slipped a little in my shoe, and I started experiencing a nice shot of pain every time my right foot hit the treadmill.  I attribute the slip entirely to my negligence of wearing loose shoes.  I know, idiot....

I stopped the run at 3 miles, and rushed into the shower to make it early to my class, which leads me to this exact moment, and also this simple piece of advice:

TIE YOUR SHOES BEFORE YOU RUN!

I hope everyone who reads this thinks, "well, duh....".

I am planning on relying on the sage advice my high school trainer told us, not matter the injury:  "Ice it down, and take some Advil."  Apparently this remedy is the cure-all treatment in high school sports medicine.  FYI: Doesn't work well with concussion...

I'm hoping not to have any new injuries, especially to my feet!  Kinda need them...

Random Tidbits:

• A good friend and reader just got a job in Madison, WI.  Nice Job Rich!  If I ever plan on doing the Ironman there, I will be needing a place to crash!!!
• No clinical = TWO-A-Days are BACK!  I'm actually pretty excited.  I am looking forward to incorporating some weight training into my schedule, as well as getting back in the pool once I get cleared by the eye doc.
• I have TONS of ideas for blog posts. Get ready for some doozies!!! Whatever the hell that means...
• The North Face Endurance Challenge is this weekend!  I am doing the 10K on Sunday with Rach, and my sister is doing the 5K!  

Video Friday 8-16-11

Good news!  I was ORIGINALLY supposed to have eye surgery yesterday to remove some scar tissue from my cornea.  I went to my appointment, and the Doc said he didn't think I would need to!  Unfortunately, I now get to "burn" the scar down with an eye drop made to do so.  And no swimming for a month (infections...?).  Not exactly pleasant, but better than surgery!  Although this is great news for me, I was looking forward to looking like a pirate today :( But I was able to get a HOT run in without an eye patch yesterday at 2:00pm (idiot).

GARRRRRR!

While in Hilton Head, I got to do quite a bit of "crosstraining" while on the island.  I got to play some golf, with a bunch of Copperhead and Cottonmouth rattlesnakes, and played some tennis with Rach.  In fact, our match stretched out into 3 separate sessions due to the heat, the last being cut short because of the family "talent show".  Rach and I's "Motivational Juggling Routine" did not win.... (google DeAngelo Vickers juggling)

Anyways, I really enjoy tennis.  I like playing, although I have never taken a lesson, and think it is pretty good exercise.  Plus, it's a way to compete with my GF who played competitively in high school and usually KILLS me.  It was nice to play on vacation, as we both haven't played in a while.  Plus I was winning!  HA!

This week's video is of Novak Djokovic doing an interview for some random show/channel.  Apparently, he asked the reporter if he knew the Capital of Thailand....

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!